What lies behind the image of the grotesque body in fashion and art? In the lecture by Ekaterina Petrova, you will embark on an exciting journey from underground performances to high fashion runways. This is a rare opportunity to look at the aesthetics of deformation as a tool for cultural expression. The Central Library named after M. Yu. Lermontov invites you to a lecture that can change your perception of the boundaries of beauty, fashion, and art. "The Grotesque Body in Art and Fashion: From Performances to the Runway" is an event for those who are not afraid of sharp topics, provocative images, and new perspectives on the familiar. The lecture will be delivered by art historian and fashion historian Ekaterina Petrova - author of the Telegram channel "Architect of Style" and popularizer of visual culture. She will discuss how the image of the body, intentionally distorted, exaggerated, absurd, or even frightening, has been used in art as a form of protest and a way to break free from accepted norms. In the history of art, the grotesque body appears everywhere: in the performances of avant-gardists, in the bodily practices of artists from the second half of the 20th century, in underground fashion and subcultural movements. It serves as a peculiar weapon - in the fight against the dictatorship of the ideal body, in attempts to express internal conflict, and to rethink norms related to gender, age, sexuality, and aesthetics in general. Particular attention will be paid to how the motif of the grotesque has transitioned from marginal scenes and alternative galleries to fashion runways. Designers increasingly use "ugly" elements to shake the viewer, make them think, confuse them, but also - paradoxically - awaken genuine admiration. This lecture is suitable for anyone interested in fashion, contemporary art, visual culture, and sociocultural transformations. Also - for those who love unconventional ideas and want to expand the boundaries of their perception. Entry by registration on Timepad. Details. Age restriction: 18+. All entertainment in St. Petersburg is collected on our website.